Monday 10 September 2012

Why I attend a regular writing class.

I attend a term time writing class at No 8 Community Centre in Pershore, Worcestershire. It is run by Sue Johnson, who featured on my blog in August 2011. Her website can be found here.

Pershore is a lovely place to visit and shop, with its Abbey and large park. Ellie Swoop and I joke that we would like to retire to the town, as it is so flat, has good bus links and everything you need for day to day living in its streets.

Carved tree in Pershore Park

The regular class has several benefits for me. The attendees change regularly, apart from a few long term stalwarts (including me), and this means that the class and the content of the writing is forever changing too. Writing is such a solitary activity that it is great to spend a couple of hours in the company of like-minded people each week.

The discipline of making the commitment to attend seems to stimulate my brain to produce more writing during the rest of the week. Added to this the pieces I write in class usually lead to poems, flash fiction and longer stories.

Do you attend a regular writing class or group? Does it have the same effect on you?

6 comments:

  1. I have to say I've never attended a class, but that sounds rather nice.

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  2. It is Mel. Sue gives us a word, phrase, herb or such like to start off the writing. We even get chilli chocolate sometimes. We usually manage two to four pieces of writing in the two hours, interspersed with coffee, biscuits and lots of writing talk! Well worth the 40 minute journey each week. Mx

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  3. I totally agree with you Morton. The class always provides fresh inspiration and a sharing of ideas, competitions and useful places to visit. The added benefits of sustained friendship and literary connections keep me on track far more than writing in isolation. Thank you for the lift to lovely Pershore and thank you Sue for the great classes at Number 8!

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  4. Ellie - you are more than welcome to the lift and we do have such fun don't we? Mx

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  5. I don't but a freind of mine and I usually get together regularly and talk about writing stuff and we havent done that recently as we've both been a way a lot. We need to get back to it!

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  6. Hi Flowerpot
    Yes, I meet with writing friends too and it is so valuable. they are the only ones who understand that characters talk to you and the difficulties of finding time to write! Put a date in the diary to meet your friend please. Mx

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